Vishwaguru or Vishwashishya

Vishwaguru or Vishwashishya?

1. Spiritual Impact vs. Western Exploitation:**

   Despite India's rich spiritual legacy influencing notable Western figures like Steve Jobs and Julia Roberts, there has been no widespread transformation in Western attitudes towards Eastern philosophies. Historically, Western intellectuals, much like Max Muller, have used Indian philosophies to further their own interests, a pattern dissected by Edward W. Said in "Orientalism."

2. Current Foreign Policy Practices:

   Under Modi's government, India has emulated various global powers in foreign policy and governance. From adopting CIA tactics to influence foreign lands, learning Putin's methods of political suppression, to practicing China's model of economic growth through limited civil rights, India has positioned itself as a follower rather than a leader on the global stage.

During the last 10 years India has been advertised as vishwaguru. Truth is that it has become visvashishya.

In the field of spirituality starting from Vivekananda to the present Sadguru including the spiritual greats like Yogananda, Prabhupadula (ISKON) ,Mahesh Yogi, Osho have made a huge impact on a few guys like Steve Jobs, the Beatles and of late Julia Roberts. We do not see any population wide transformation of the Western habits or outlook towards the under developed countries or the eastern philosophies. 

Like Max Muller who lectured the prospective civil servants in colonial England, the Western intellectuals or even the politicians used Indian philosophis to teach the Western minds how to infiltrate into the eastern society to exploit them. 

In the past it was political subjugation,now it is economic exploitation,  albeit in a camouflaged manner; the savage saga still continues. This Western interpretation of the east for their own benefit has been exposed to the possible depth by Edward W Said in his book Orientalism.

Against this background Modi government during the last 10 years has tried to create an image that this situation is upended and tried to make us believe that the world, mainly the West,  looks to east and particularly India for guidance as a vishwaguru. 

But the truth is totally opposite as we can see from the following practices of the Indian foreign policy. 

We have learnt from CIA how to hound our enemies in foreign lands like Canada and decimated them without a care for international covenants of non interference in the internal affairs of other countries. 

We have also been the shishyas of Putin who taught us how the political opposition can be completely subdued and the civil rights can be totally abrogated with impunity.

Temples have been built by India or Indians in foreign countries particularly Muslim countries and inaugurated by our Prime Minister to extend and continue the religious  allegiance, the easiest and the time tested way to fool the people in the fasion of missionaries for spread of Christianity.

The lesson that one party system coupled with constricted civil rights has been cause of the fast growth was learnt from  China and  is being practiced with no holds barred strategems. 

The Western practice of hunting with the hounds and  running with the hare is a skill well learnt and put to practice by helping Adani to buy Haifa port in and sending weapons  to Israel, and partnering with Iran to build Chabahar port and it's complementary infrastructure for laying quick goods transport route to Europe and the Central Asia.

Joining hands with the left government in Australia to help Adani to own a coal mine (subsequently cancelled by the protest by the Australian Green party) or helping him to buy low quality coal at cheap rates and forcing the public sector units to buy at higher costs. (Lesson for other political parties: all PSUs should not be disinvested.They have benefits too.)

Another lesson learnt from this shishyarikam (discipleship) is telling Putin that "this is not the time for wars" and buying crude at dirt cheap rates to finance his war against Eukrain. 

Howdo Modi bonhomie with Trump helped learn the brilliant lesson of building walls to separate people and implemented through detention centers a la the Uygurs in China. Moral of the lesson is segregation is better than assimilation.

America has reciprocated our yoga lessons with the training in the sophisticated practices of intolerance and othering.

China enriched itself by dumping cheap goods into other countries. We have bettered China by dumping spurious medicines. Thus India and China have kept their traditional exchange of wisdom. 

Helping Sri Lanka with contingency funds from tax money  in exchange for getting ports and other contracts for industrialist associates is a trick learnt from China. 

Mexico has been our guru in learning how to destroy millions of trees in Nicobar for Adani port as they did in Amazon rainforest.

True to our long and strong bonds with Russia, we have learnt a rapid lesson on monopoly politics. 

In short we have been a great learner. 

Shishyobyonnamaha.

Dr M H Prasad Rao